14 wonderful ways to clean dusty surfaces you wish you knew sooner

Whether guests are constantly in and out during the summer or the house is closed up for the winter, dust is always a problem. You can vacuum or scrub every surface, but dust is still going to gather. Surely there is a way to effectively clean your dusty surfaces.

In fact, there are several simple tricks to sweep dust out the door. So instead of calling in professional cleaners, just gather a few items you probably already have and get to work. Like any good cleaners, you should start at the top and work your way down.

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1. Window blindsWindow blinds can start to look dingy if you don't dust them often enough. One solution is to never close your blinds. A better solution, however, is to just take a few minutes to clean them. To get rid of dust on window blinds, try the tip below.

2. Ceilings Most people don't think too much about cleaning their ceilings, but doing so can help get rid of dust that can irritate your allergies or settle on other furniture. The easiest way to dust ceilings is to place a microfiber cloth over the bristles of a broom (you might need to secure it with a rubber band) and sweep the ceiling. This is especially effective if you have cobwebs in the corners that you can't reach. If you have higher ceilings, you might need to stand on a step stool or use a broom with a longer handle.

3. Popcorn ceilingsIf you have a popcorn ceiling, the texture will make it difficult for a broom to get rid of all of the dust. Instead, use the brush attachment on a vacuum to remove the dust. You can use a feather duster to save a little time, but if you want a deeper clean, the vacuum is your best bet.

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4. Whiten groutThe space between tiles can get really nasty. Instead of spending hours scrubbing the floor, try the hack below to save time. Baking soda and a simple solution sprayed on grout lines work wonders.

5. Ceiling fansThe quickest way to dust a ceiling fan is to wipe each blade with a cloth and consider the job done. Although that does work, it also transfers all of the dust from the fan to the floor and furniture underneath. If you want to clean the fan without having to clean everything else, you'll need an old pillowcase. Cover a fan blade with the pillowcase and slide it back toward you. This will cause the dust to fall into the pillowcase instead of on the floor.

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6. WallsIt's easy to ignore walls when you're cleaning, but they can collect dust too. The best way to clean them is with the brush attachment on the vacuum. It might take some time, but the walls will look much better after you're finished, especially if you've painted recently (or are planning to paint soon). You can also run the vacuum hose over any wall vents to clean those while you're at it.

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7. Car ventsAfter you've finished with the dashboard, you should probably check on the vents of your car. You definitely don't want these to get too dusty, as they'll blow that dust into the rest of the car every time you run the air conditioner or heater. To clean the dust out of these vents, try the technique below.

8. Light fixturesThere are two easy ways to dust light fixtures, depending on the type of light. If you have recessed can lights, you'll use a damp cloth to remove dust. If you have a standing or hanging light fixture or a chandelier, you'll want to use a lamb's-wool duster to carefully remove dust without damaging the lights.

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9. Wood furnitureWood furniture is extremely easy to dust because you can use almost anything. It doesn't matter if you have a feather duster, a lamb's-wool duster, dust cloths or just an old T-shirt. All of these will work to remove dust from wood furniture. But if you have a lot of dust and don't want to scatter it everywhere, dampen the cloth a little before using it.

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10. Clean dust and gunk from windshieldWhen you think about your car windshield, you might think about bird poop and other gunk on the outside. The truth is that the interior isn't all that clean. Dust, oils, smoking residue and other less-desirable particles (from sneezing or coughing) are trapped on the interior windshield. Watch the magic happen in the video below with a solution that will get the windshield clean in no time.

11. Leather furnitureWhen it comes to deep cleaning, leather furniture requires a little extra care. But if you just want to remove a little dust, you need nothing more than a dry cloth. If you want to go a little further, you can vacuum the crevices of the furniture, but a cloth is enough for just dusting.

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12. ElectronicsCleaning the screens of computers or televisions is always a little nerve-wracking because some cloths and products can't be used on them. But if you just want to get rid of a little dust on the screen, gently wipe across it with a clean dryer sheet. The dust will cling to the dryer sheet and the sheet won't scratch the screen.

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13. BaseboardsA strange but effective way to dust baseboards is with a clean paintbrush, as shown in video below. This should be done before you sweep or vacuum the floor, though, as the dust you sweep off of the baseboards will gather on the floor.

14. KnickknacksDo you have a collection of small items that are a pain to clean because you don't want to take down each one and dust it individually? Never fear! You won't have to spend time cleaning them one by one anymore. If you have a collection of knickknacks, use a blow dryer (set on the lowest, coolest setting) to blow off the dust.

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15. CandlesIf you have candles, you probably don't think about them too much when you're cleaning, but they can gather dust. A quick way to clean them is to take an old pair of pantyhose, bunch it up and rub it around the candle. This will clean candles and give you a new use for an unused pair of pantyhose.

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16. Deep clean your broomAfter all that dusting and cleaning, your broom will get dirty and full of gunk. People often forget to clean the very tool they used to clean with. The video below demonstrates a deep cleaning solution for brooms.